Last week, we reported on the culture of fake iOS device chargers, along with the potential perils of using them. As some folks have learned, saving a few bucks can often cost hundreds in repairs for broken devices and also damage caused by subsequent fires and minor explosions as the shoddy build quality shows its true colors. Here, we show you how to spot a phony, and also, what you should do next if your charger is a potentially dangerous copy.
We've heard a great deal about the iPhone 6, and thanks to a bunch of leaked dummies and mockups, also had plenty of visuals on its supposed form factor. Whether or not the iPod touch-like form factor we've been seeing is indicative of the final product, we cannot say for certain, but if these sightings do accurately represent Apple's forthcoming flagship, then we're in for a very clear departure from all previous iPhones in terms of both style and size. To emphasize this point, one perpetual Cupertino whistle-blower has pitted the dummy iPhone 6 against each and every preceding Apple handset in a series of high-quality images, making for a very interesting spectacle.
A Dutch-Moroccan hacking firm called Doulci claims to have successfully bypassed iOS 7's iCloud Activation Lock, allowing the gang to unlock iPhones that would otherwise be completely blocked by the Cupertino company. Given the 400 million strong user base of iCloud, this is a particularly worrying revelation, and since Apple's robust iCloud infrastructure has never been breached in this way, the repercussions could be significant.
The annual Worldwide Developers Conference usually offers an insight into software improvements Apple has been making to its product line-ups, and this year, we're once again expecting WWDC to showcase an updated iOS 8 and OS X 10.10. Apparently, though, we could also be in for some new hardware, but precisely what we're going to be getting remains an unfortunate mystery.
Solar power is one of those things that was once supposed to provide a fix for all of our power-based problems. Even though some companies are using solar energy to at least part fuel their datacenters, it has still not quite lived up to its billing. Solar energy has even been talked of as a way of powering our personal gadgets, too, but so far nothing has really come to fruition. Sure, calculators and keyboards exist that run on power generated from the sun, but that's a far cry from keeping a power hungry iPhone juiced all day long.
In preparing for a major new product release, most companies will outline several suppliers to take care of each element, which ensures that if one supplier isn't delivering to its quota or there's a hitch, the overall production machine isn't ground to a halt. When it comes to preparing new displays for the iOS device range, Apple has several companies in the running, but whilst it has leant heavily on Samsung and Sharp in this key area over the past couple of years, it now appears that both have been dropped for the production of the iPhone 6.
Over the course of the weekend, Apple and Google reached a landmark deal that saw both parties agree to settle any patent disputes in a manner that wouldn't involve continued litigation, and now, it is being reported that Apple and Samsung are currently holding talks on a similar agreement.
After what seems like an eternity of constantly battling one another in a courtroom, Apple and Google have come to a mutual agreement that will see the two technology giants ending all current patent litigations against each another. In an effort to avoid an escalation of the situation, and to prevent any additional bad blood from developing between two of Silicon Valley's most important companies, Apple and Google are understood to have thrashed out a ceasefire that is mutually suitable to all involved.
Along with the two iPhone 6 variants, the alleged iWatch, the Retina MacBook Air and Touch ID-enabled iPads - allied to a whole bunch of other purported releases arriving out of Cupertino this year - Apple is said to be plotting an "iPad Pro," which would offer a notable increase in form factor on the current 9.7-inch-displaying iPad Air. So far, solid information has been at a premium, and whilst a new dummy leak of the enlarged slate on Weibo looks suspect, to say the least, it does offer a potential glimpse of the device's form factor.
Apple's CarPlay, first announced as iOS in the Car, finally rolled out with iOS 7.1, but until the supported cars begin rolling out later on in the year, we can't really get up close and personal with the new interface. Pioneer, as we heard a short while ago, will be offering an aftermarket option for those who don't wish to go out and buy a whole new car, and today, the audio specialist has given us a taster in the form of a demo clip.
